Park's P.O.V

"This is only gonna hurt a little, okay?" Montana smiled.

"No," I winced as I jacked my hands away from her.

Victoria grabbed my hands and held them tight, cautious not to touch my still broken thumbs.

Montana got her wrapped up earlier, she's doing great. No complications-- only a little weakness she claims.

"Come one Park, you're a man." She chuckled.

True..
I don't know why I'm even being such a sissy boy.

If my father ever saw me like this, he'd disown me. Where I'm from, pain is tolerable.

I closed my eyes closed tightly and placed my hands back on top of Montana's.

"On the count of three, okay?"

I nodded and she proceeded to wiggle my thumb a bit. It hurt, ALOT, but I didn't make a sound.

"One, two--"

SNAP!

"AGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screeched in pain, only to be muffled by Victoria's hand over my mouth.

"You didn't even count to three!" I yelled.

Without further ado, she quickly took my other thumb and popped it back into place.

It was a painful, heart wrenching sting-- but once it was over, it couldn't be better.

"You're all done." She whispered.

I opened my eyes to find Montana still holding my hands, and most of the team around us.

"Move them around and tell me how they feel."

I snatched my hands away and moved my thumbs in a circular motion, sort of like I was playing a game with an Xbox controller.

"Well?" Reese urged.

"I feel great." I smile, still staring at Montana.

Everyone applauded and I was beyond ecstatic!

I can move my thumbs again, they have feeling!

"Alright pretty boy, your time is up." She pat my back and I hopped up quickly.

Wait--- pretty boy?

Before I could question her, Ryan had already taken my seat, ready to get fixed up.

Montana whipped out her bandages, some cleaning alcohol and some type of cream.

She then began to study Ryan's cuts on his face and all the bruises on his arms.

Reese watched in pain, and so did everyone else.

Everyone meaning Bella, Kimmy, Tyrone, Victoria and Max.

Cody and Kai were in the back holding conversation, like usual. Charlie was on top of the RV, scoping out trouble, And Tyler and Jose were driving up front.

"Ouch!" Ryan exclaimed as Montana applied pressure to the knot on his forehead.

Reese ran her fingers through his faded red hair, that was now nearly brown, to keep him calm.
It soothed him but his face still showed pain.

Unanticipatedly, Victoria ran to the back of the RV, catching everyone's attention.

She ran into the bathroom and slammed the door shut, and next thing you know, she was vomiting her guts out.

She must be road sick.

"I'll go check on her," Reese mumbled.

She moseyed her way to he back, and into the bathroom with Victoria, only to hear a sudden scream.

Abruptly, Reese ran back out the bathroom and placed her back against the door.

"What's going on?" Tyrone bellowed.

"She doesn't want anyone in there." Reese panted, shaking her head left and right.

"What's wrong?" I asked, stepping a bit closer.

I have the right to know, I am her best friend. I'm like her brother for hell's sake.

"She's not feeling well." She sighed.

Oh Victoria...

I took a seat back at the table beside Ryan and held my head in my sleeve.

What if....

No. There's no way.
____________________________________

Charlie's P.O.V

The RV began to come to stop as Jose approached a lone truck on the side of the road.

We don't know where we are going but we're getting far away from here. We have enough food, supplies and necessities to last for wherever we're headed if we end up on a dead road, you know. That's always good.

Unanticipatedly, Jose hopped out the RV with his tomahawk in hand, he slowly crept to the truck.

He's the brains of all of us, he can hotwire and decipher like it's no one's business.

He approached the truck and I kept my gun up and guarded, just in case anything happened.

He began to pick at the lock, twisting and turning a key that obviously wasn't fitting, but eventually he got it open. Some how..

"Good job frat boy!" I laughed.

He turned and gave me the middle finger before grinning shyly.

Quickly, he hopped in and began to fiddle with the wires under the steering wheel.

And in no time, the car was running and a smile plastered across my face.

Finally! We won't all have to clutter into the RV.

Quickly, Jose ran back to the RV and I hopped down from my stand.

I joined the others in the RV and they were already packing stuff up to transport to the truck.

"So who's riding in the other car?" I asked.

No one payed much attention.. they were all too hype.

Except Victoria.
She's been down every since we fought the battle this morning.

It's almost night and I'm sure something's wrong. She's just got the kind heart where she keeps everything in. She would rather not worry people with her problems..

I've only known Victoria for 3 years and that's what I've learned about her.

"You okay?" I asked, as I approached her with my rifle strapped around my back.

"I-I'm fine." She faked a smile.

She sat with her arms crossed, unknowingly shaking a bit and running her hands over her arms to keep herself warm.

"You're shivering." I took a seat beside her and she scooted farther away.

"Okay, what's up?" I sighed.

"I am fine, Charlie. Believe me."

She smiled once more and I shrugged it off..

Okay I guess.

"So, Victoria, Charlie, Tyrone, Tyler and Jose!" Reese shouted.

Looking around, everyone nodded and began to grab bags.

"That's whose riding in the other car?" I asked.

Reese nodded and pat my shoulder softly, "Unless you wanna switch with Park? I don't know I just thought you could be a leader I guess."

Reese.. it's a car.. we don't need a leader to supervise people in a car.

"Alright." I shrugged.

Although I would much rather stay in the RV with her and talk all night about pointless things, it's what's for best.

"Gotta get moving before we get trouble." Cody advised.

"Right." I nodded.

I clutched onto my rifle and led the way out the RV, not looking back for the others. I knew they were following though.

Once outside, I stopped and took a look at the stars forming in the sky.
Why did the world have to go to shit?

Abruptly, Victoria stumbled into me and I caught her before she could even fall.

She regained her balance and clutched her side, to which everyone stared at her like she was crazy.

Thinking the worst, I pushed her off of me and quickly aimed my gun at her.

"I'm sorry, but something's not adding up." I sighed.

"Charlie what are you doing!" Park hopped in front of Charlie and I gently kicked him in the knee.

"She's right." Kai stepped forward.

I looked at Victoria and her eyes began to water.

No.

No.

No!

"No." I shook my head and began to back away frantically.
In the spur of the moment, my head began to spin and I couldn't comprehend.

Her fingers curled around her shirt and she lifted it in an instant, to reveal teeth marks in her lower abdomen.

Everyone gasped, and sniffled -- we were without words.

Around the bite was black and blue, purple even.. all I know is that there's no way Montana can help her.

Tyrone stepped a bit closer with his hand over his mouth and reached out to Victoria, "Why didn't y--"

"I'm sorry," she cried "I didn't want to tell you guys earlier because I wanted to spend as much time as I could with you all before it was too late..."

She wiped her eyes and tried to catch her breath, "but it looks like this is the end of the road."

There was silence. No one knew what to say, or even think for that matter.

"What now?" I whispered, lowering my gun.

"There's not much we can do." Reese sighed.

"That's okay," Victoria smiled through muffled cries, "this isn't the end, it's only the beginning."

The beginning? Of what? Death?

I never really understood how Victoria got the courage to smile even though she was in so much pain. She's been like this as long as I can remember.
The girl who always smiled.
Unless you called her Vicky, of course.

Suddenly, Kimmy dropped her pistol and ran to Victoria with open arms, pulling her into a tight hug-- to which the both of them rocked back and forth crying in each other's arms.

Then, Tyler stepped forward.
He ran up and joined their hug.

Soon enough, Reese joined, and Kai did too--- and Cody of course. And sweetheart Bella, and Ryan, and Jose, Max, and even Montana.
So did I.

We all bundled over her and cried. Yes, in the middle of the street. Did we care? No. It's an emotional moment.

But someone was missing...
The one who probably cared about her more than all of us.

Park.

He stood with his back against the RV and his hands over his face.

Hell, he never takes things easy.. after whatever happens next, I just know it won't be an easy road for the kid.

Slowly, we all pulled away from the hug and wiped our eyes.

"We all know what happens the next time I open my eyes.. I won't be the same Victoria." She shrugged.

"So I'm gonna go my own way, and I wish you all the best of luck."

What? No. This is all happening too fast.

"Victoria you can't go!" Park chimed in.

His long black hair was now all over the place and his face was redder than a tomato.

"You want me to stay and possibly hurt you all?"

"You still have a little time." He mumbled, with tears about to roll down his cheeks.

"Park, it's okay. I'm okay." She smiled.

"Why is she so happy?" Max asked.

Victoria quickly flipped around and stared Max dead in the eyes, before speaking in her trembling voice.
"Because I got to live this long. I am grateful."

Montana ran her fingers through her hair and began to head toward the RV.
"I'm sorry, I'm too emotional!" She hollered.

Well, me too.

Park inched closer to Victoria, and all at once, he threw his arms over her shoulders and pulled her close.

Silence.
We stood around like fools.

When they both pulled away from the hug, Victoria placed a kiss on Park's forehead and faintly whispered, "Until we meet again."

He nodded and hugged her again, this time with more passion and tension.

Soon after, it was over and we were parting ways.

She was going the direction we were coming from and we were pushing on.

That's all we can do. Push on.

I can't believe we are saying goodbye to a comrade who's always been there, and I am devastated but we have to push on if we want to live, if we want to survive.

Before we pulled the truck off, Tyrone waved once more to Victoria, followed with a faint 'I love you'...

Words I've never heard come out of Tyrone's mouth..
And may never hear after this.

"Until we meet again." She repeated once more, and then we were off.
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